If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I was just recently on an exciting trip in North Carolina with Burt’s Bees, learning all about the brand and how to make some of my favorite products from their line!

The trip was to learn about the brand’s heritage, and the product they are most famous for (hello lip balm), while also hearing all about the new products they have recently released – 18 amazing shades of Lipstick and the new insanely amazing Skin Nourishment skincare line infused with ‘royal jelly’. Did I also mention that all of these products are an average of 99% natural?! Amazing, right?

I will just start by saying this trip was so magical and fascinating, not only because it took place at the stunning Fearrington Village(there is a full farm there for all of you animal lovers!), but also because I got to learn about why Burt’s Bees is such an amazing brand – beyond the amazing products, it is the values the brand was built upon and still uphold today that truly have me hooked.

We learned all about the founder, Burt Shavitz, and his love of bees. We actually got to see the home he lived in, which was formerly a turkey coop, (just so you get an idea of the size of it, less than 300 square feet total!) and the philosophies he lived by, some of which he had put up in small pieces of paper as reminders around his home; “Detach”, “Use Wisdom” and “Stay Centered”. Although Burt passed two years ago, who he was is still a central influence on the company, in ways large and small.One special way being a portrait of his that is placed at the entrance of the bee hive at the BB headquarters, (yes they have a bee hive at the offices), because the bees remember his face and know exactly where to come back after each pollen excursion. Crazy right?

When you walk inside the headquarters, they welcome you “inside the hive” (get it? Bees!) and, I have to say…I legitimately learned a ton about the way that the beauty products are made and the way Burt’s Bees infuses beeswax and bee-pollinated ingredients into a range of their products (and for good reason).

Why beeswax is amazing:

According to the brand, beeswax adds a wonderful natural texture, adding stability to the formula, to products.As a breathable barrier, beeswax helps to seal moisture in to the skin, while allowing moisture from the atmosphere in, when used in moisturizing formulas with rich butters, oils and extracts. Beeswax conditions the skin by helping to lock in moisture!

Why bee honey is amazing:

Honey is a natural source of antibiotic properties, as well as a humectant because it attracts and retains water, thus helping honey to soothe, soften and moisturize the skin.

What is royal jelly?

If you are a skincare junkie like myself, you would notice that on all of the new Skin Nourishment line of skincare products they said “with royal jelly”. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that royal jelly is what bees feed the queen bee in the hive. Every hive usually has one queen bee, and the queen bee gets special food aka royal jelly brought to them by the worker bees in her hive. Royal jelly is considered to be one of nature’s most nutrient rich substances, filled with protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and it helps skin’s texture in a major way.

It was super interesting getting into the open-air lab and being able to create the brand’s signature products from SCRATCH!

As I mentioned, one of the main reasons I’m such a Burt’s Bees fan is because of the philosophy behind their products. We all want and try to live the healthiest life, and Burt’s Bees believes that what you put in your body is just as important as what you put on your skin, which is why there is so much emphasis on the natural products they work with and the amount of things they are able to create, still keeping it formulated with natural, nourishing ingredients. Also, as a huge animal lover, Burt’s Bees is committed to bringing back the bees which is their social media campaign to save the bees that are rapidly disappearing.

It was such an honor and privilege to be able to get the behind the scenes look at the company and to be able to put a face to creator behind the balm that has been nourishing my chapped lips for years!

2 Comments

That’s great! Bringing back the bees is a pivotal step towards restoring the ecosystem. Bees and any other small creature that have a significant influence on the food chain should be above our priorities to restoring ecological systems.

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About Katherine

Through my reporting, speaking, writing, and community service, I believe I can make a difference. People my age have an important role to play across the board in our society and I want to use my voice for positive change. READ MORE...

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